Monday, February 10, 2025

“Kiswahili Kitukuzwe!” Regional leaders push for amendment of the East African Community (EAC) Treaty to fast-track the use of Kiswahili as an EAC official language

Regional leaders and stakeholders have renewed the call to the East African Community (EAC) Council of Ministers to fast-track the process of amendingĀ the Treaty for the Establishment of the East African Community (EAC) to enable the utilisation of Kiswahili as an official languageĀ of the bloc.

As hundreds of people gathered on Sunday to celebrate the 3rdĀ EAC World Kiswahili Language Day in Mombasa, Kenya, regional leaders and Kiswahili experts also called upon all EAC Partner States to pass laws and policies that will promote the use of Kiswahili. They emphasised theĀ role of theĀ language in fostering unity andĀ solidarityĀ across the region.

Kenyaā€™s Cabinet Secretary for Gender, Culture, the Arts and Heritage, Hon. Aisha Jumwa,Ā highlighted Kiswahili’s significant cultural and economic contributions to East Africa inĀ keynote address.

ā€œKiswahili is our unifying language in the region, with over 200 million people speaking it. I urge all EAC Partner States to push for laws and policies to be written and published in Kiswahili,ā€ saidĀ Hon. Jumwa.

Hon. JumwaĀ urged EAC Partner States to ensure laws and policies are made availableĀ in Kiswahili, even as she emphasised theĀ global usage of Kiswahili and the effortsĀ made so far byĀ stakeholders in theĀ promotionĀ of the language. Hon. Jumwa also praised non-regional Kiswahili professionals for training initiatives that support the language’s spread, along with the formation of Kiswahili Clubs across the region.

The celebrations followed a two-day international conference organised by the East AfricanĀ Kiswahili CommissionĀ (EAKC), revolving around theĀ theme “Kiswahili, Multilingual Education, and the Enhancement of Peace.” The conference explored the vital role of language and education in promoting regional peace.

On his part, Uganda’s Minister of State for EACĀ Affairs, Hon. James Magode Ikuya, reaffirmedĀ Uganda’s commitment toĀ adoption ofĀ Kiswahili as an official language, adding that Kiswahili was nowĀ compulsory subject in the countryā€™s schools.

“With our language, we can set our own agenda. Kiswahili is our own language. These celebrations reiterate the regionā€™s goodwill in promoting the growth and development of the language,” he added.

Speaking atĀ the event, the Judge President of the East African Court of Justice (EACJ), Justice Nestor Kayobera,Ā saidĀ that adopting Kiswahili as an official language would enhance citizens’ understanding ofĀ theĀ proceedingsĀ of the EACJĀ across the region, currently delivered primarily in English.

ā€œThe Treaty establishing the EAC recognises the English language as the official language and Kiswahili as a lingua franca. Those who find themselves in courts, most of them use Kiswahili, but judgments are delivered in English because the law that guides the judiciary was enacted in English,ā€ saidĀ Hon. Kayobera.

Justice KayoberaĀ added that EACJ cannot thus deliver its rulings in Kiswahili terming it unfortunate that citizens are not able to follow proceedings and understand judgments in their own language.

In her remarks, the EAKCĀ Executive Secretary, Dr. Caroline Asiimwe, singled out the UNā€™s recent recognition ofĀ Kiswahili and reaffirmed the Commission’s dedication to promoting the language across East Africa

ā€œIn the last twoĀ days, we have had stakeholders from all EAC Partner States, discuss the status of Kiswahili usage in their countries, the need for Kiswahili language policy and its use in our education systems. As a commission responsible for sharing the efforts of the development and use of Kiswahili in the EAC, I reiterate our commitment to working with all regional stakeholders to ensure we realise our goal,” saidĀ Dr. Asiimwe.

During the event, the EAKC also unveiled a book containing papers presented during the previous years’ Kiswahili Day celebrations, marking a significant milestone in the promotion and documentation of Kiswahili’s cultural and educational contributions.

Also present at the event were:Ā Kenyaā€™s Principal Secretary for Gender, Culture, the Arts and Heritage, Ms. Ummi Bashir; Likoni Constituency Member of Parliament, Hon. Mishi Khamisi Mboko; Mombasa Woman Representative Hon. Zamzam Mohammed; Heads of EAC Institutions; and Members of the Diplomatic Corps, among other dignitaries.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of East African Community.

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